Rural Education Scholarship Opportunities

Being in the heart of the South Plains region in West Texas gives the Texas Tech College of Education a unique opportunity to steward and develop rural education efforts. Rural education is a top priority of the College of Education, which is why we have several scholarships and partnerships available to help support tomorrow's rural educators. Our commitment to serving rural West Texas educators is something we pride ourselves on. For questions about our rural education outreach efforts, please contact development.educ@ttu.edu.

Graduate Scholarship

Through scholarship, the College of Education reaffirms its commitment to preparing educational practitioners in rural West Texas. We recognize the invaluable role they play in shaping the future of our communities. If you are an educational practitioner currently working in a West Texas school and are interested in starting a master's degree this summer, we encourage you to apply for both admission to Texas Tech and the College of Education, as well as one of the multiple New Graduate Student Scholarships that are available. 

• Apply to The Graduate School at Texas Tech
• Apply for the Rural Educational Practitioner Scholarship:
  • New Students
  • Graduating Students

West Texas Rural Education Partnership 

The shortage of qualified teachers across West Texas represents a significant failure to provide for the economic future of rural communities. The West Texas Rural Education Partnership will prepare over 200 new teachers annually for rural schools in our region by creating inter-organizational systems consisting of 3 universities, 9 community colleges and 45 rural districts all focused on addressing teacher-talent needs of rural schools.

For more information about the West Texas Rural Education Partnership, please reach out to Shawn Mason at shamason@ttu.edu.

Goals

• Align district, community college, and university organizations into a single system. Increase local talent seeking teacher certification.
• Implement high-quality support for rural teacher candidates. Coach and train district-based site coordinators. Improve quality of candidate support in remote, rural districts. Increase retention of high-quality teachers in rural districts.
• Represent “rural” in the curriculum. Include coursework about teaching in rural schools. Increase efficacy and value for teaching in rural schools.

Undergraduate Scholarships

To apply for these scholarships, please fill out a scholarship application through the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. Visit their website for more information.

The CH Foundation Rural Education Scholarship

This scholarship is for teacher candidates in their senior year. The selection criteria will prioritize West Texas commitment and ties to rural communities in addition to program requirements and need.

Alice Maye Birdwell Scholarship

This scholarship is for Elementary Education to graduates of Snyder High School with a GPA of 3.0

Archie Sims Scholarship

This scholarship is for students majoring in Education, having a grade point average of 2.5 and classified as a freshman, junior, sophomore or senior. Financial needs are to be considered. Preference given to students graduating from High Schools with graduating classes of one hundred or less.

Charles Peggy Ainsworth Scholarship

This scholarship is for undergraduate students in College of Education preferably from a small town or rural area with a 3.0 GPA or above. Financial needs may be considered but are not specified criteria for selection.

Linda Ann Bowers Scholarship

This scholarship is for a senior education student enrolled in the College of Education from West Texas

Little McCarty and McCarty Scholarship

This scholarship is for student(s) from Littlefield or Muleshoe ISD. If a student from Littlefield or Muleshoe ISD cannot be awarded, preference is for student(s) from Lubbock ISD. Preference for students with financial need as evidenced by the FAFSA.

Maxine Durrett Earl Charitable Foundation Scholarship in Education 

This scholarship is for students with a 3.0 GPA, and they must have completed their freshman year. First preference given to students from Garza County, second preference to students from Gaines, Dawson, Borden, Scurry, Kent, Lynn, Terry, Yoakum, Cochran, Hockley, Lubbock, Crosby, Dickens, Motley, Floyd, Hale, Lamb or Baily County.

Guin Don and Mary Jane Clement Scholarship

This scholarship is for a freshman student who has applied for enrollment in the College of Education. First preference given to a graduate of Brownfield ISD. The second preference is given to a graduate of Wellman Union School District, and the third preference is given to Meadow School District or any school in Terry County. Must be enrolled full-time and maintain a 2.5 GPA. Financial need is considered.